


Star Light

by highinfibre



Category: Ghosts (TV 2019)
Genre: Christmas traditions, Fluff, Gen, Light Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:47:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28354920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/highinfibre/pseuds/highinfibre
Summary: Sometimes, traditions are nice to uphold.-My Secret Santa gift!
Relationships: Kitty & Lady Fanny Button
Comments: 10
Kudos: 36





	Star Light

**Author's Note:**

  * For [upsetslingshot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/upsetslingshot/gifts).



"I'm really glad you got your tree decorated in the end." 

Kitty beamed over at Fanny, her eyes filled with an unrestrained joy. 

Pat had excused himself to his room for the evening ("It's been a pretty rad Christmas with you guys, but it wouldn't be the same if I didn't have a few moments in my shed to let it all sink in - my room - ah, you know what I mean.") and Mary was pleasing herself in the next room with a recording of that morning's Christmas Day Mass. Thomas and the Captain had convinced Julian to referee their rematch of 'Twist-It'. People dispersed, as people are want to do when group celebrations are near their end. Separate, but not apart, united in the holiday spirit. 

Fanny, for her part, allowed Kitty a rare and genuine smile. "As am I, Kitty." 

The two women were sat in the remnants of the Cooper's Christmas festivities. Robin dozed amidst abandoned shreds of wrapping paper, and for once Fanny couldn't bring herself to be derisive of the mess. 

She continued. "There were trees in Button House since the trend became popular, but it wasn't truly maintained as a tradition until I joined the family. My mother and I adored them, you see." 

"Oh yes, I remember." Kitty nodded. She sat primly in her seat, arms folded, but her eyes flickered excitedly between the lights and her friend. "I was ever so excited to hear you planning it with the servants when you came?" 

"Were you?" Fanny had walked these halls for many years, and haunted them for many more - yet it still surprised her to think of her companions observing _her_ life, unseen. 

"Oh, yes! Of course the other Buttons put one up. But they only wanted to emulate the Queen. You always looked so excited when you were picking the colours and deciding the theme - it made Christmas exciting, even though there weren't as many of us to celebrate together!" 

Kitty had been wringing her hands together as she recollected her delight but, ultimately, couldn't keep her poise. She spun in her seat to grasp Fanny's arm. It delighted Kitty to notice they both were feeling the same level of joy in the season. Fanny herself didn't move, but her lips smiled full and unpursed, and a warm candlelight glowed behind her eyes. It was expressed in a muted way, more refined than Kitty ever hoped or cared to achieve, but Kitty could see it. She usually could when she chose to, peering through the lines for what people actually wanted to feel. Knowing she was in on those secrets was good enough for her. 

So she pressed further. 

"My favourite was the one in eighteen seventy-two." Kitty continued. "It was quieter that year, because of all the snow, but the candles had burgundy and golden yellow bows that nearly matched my dress. It felt like you'd chosen it just for me." 

"It was a bold decision." Fanny agreed. "It went completely against the usual silver colour palette, it was _utterly_ out of character for me to betray tradition like that. But I have to admit that the warmer palette made the room feel much more cozy and inviting." 

Both Kitty and Fanny let themselves lapse into silence. The present was lost to them, both women revisiting their converging memories of the day. The serenity was fulfilling enough that their gazes returned to the present tree and, eventually, the present. Fanny narrowed her eyes idly as she inspected it again, accounting for each and every ornament. 

"I think Alison did a good job too, of course!" Kitty added. 

"Yes." Fanny nodded once in agreement. "It's clear it was decorated _in a rush_ -" her lips curled performatively. "But she did manage to add the pieces that were most important. Do you know why I was so hopeful for the tree this year?" 

Kitty did, having followed Fanny's own Christmas schedule very closely each year, but she shook her head obligingly. 

"It is true that I would decorate differently each year," Fanny continued. "but some key decorations I always incorporated. They were my mother's, you see. We had helped decorate our Christmas tree every year since I was very small, and she left our personal ornaments to me when she died. What do you know about the star, Kitty?" 

"Oh, well that's easy. It's a _symbol_ , to act like the Star of Bethlehem in the decorations-" 

" _No_ , Kitty, I mean this ornament specifically." 

Fanny had been speaking softly for several minutes but there was a new, particular, weight to her tone that gave Kitty pause. For one, she could sense that she was about to be told something private and important. But - and this was, secretly, the crucial part - Kitty was about to be told something she didn't _know_. Try as she might, Kitty could not recall knowing anything out of the ordinary about this ornament, nor why it might put Fanny into this tender sort of quiet. 

"Oh- no, I really don't think I do!" 

She couldn't quite conceal her excitement, and it was a testament to Fanny's seasonal goodwill that she found it endearing rather than unnerving. 

"I haven't been able to see that ornament in years." She explained. "It was packed away carefully, and naturally it Heather was no longer able to make the journey to retrieve it every year. It was custom made, you see, and more importantly it didn't always look as it does." 

Kitty inhaled audibly, her lips parting in unadulterated intrigue. 

"It didn't?" She squeaked. 

"Not always, no." 

Fanny reached out with her right, free, arm. She traced along the main points of the star. Kitty watched in rapt awe, leaning forward to try and pick out or guess its secrets before Fanny could elaborate for her. 

"Do you see the larger spokes of the star, Kitty?" 

Kitty nodded. 

"The star with those points was originally commissioned by my mother on the year of my birth. It was _our_ star, and it was the first ornament we'd have placed each year." Absently, Fanny let her hand drop, resting it against her stomach while she spoke. "She passed it onto me as a gift when I was with child, with my eldest. I sent it to be personalised and have the extra spokes added in preparation for her first Christmas. If you look closely you can see where they are a slightly lighter colour." 

Kitty could not see - not from this distance - but wanted to ever so desperately. So she hopped to her feet. She crossed the room to stand right next to the tree, stretching all the way up onto her tiptoes to get the best view. 

Ever so faintly, Kitty could see how the smaller star spokes were much whiter than the warm hue of its main body. 

“Oh yes, I see it now!” Kitty grinned, talking up at the star as though it were Fanny herself. “I really think it’s lovely. And it was very nice of your mother, to pass it down into the family! I passed my favourite doll onto my sister. Well,” Her smile tightened, head cocking to the side. “Well I suppose she decided to have it, really. I hadn’t finished playing with it when she wanted it for herself. But it was the nice thing to do. Wasn’t it? So in the end I’m supposed to be glad that I got to share.”

She dropped down from the balls of her feet.

There was a moment of silence - Robin’s leg twitched in his sleep - and Kitty felt her shoulder’s begin to hunch upwards and tense. She was still smiling. 

“Kitty..”

Fanny’s voice was much closer than it had been, and it was almost enough to startle her. How long has she been standing there for? When had she moved? Kitty’s hands splayed out by her sides. 

“ _ It’s alright _ .” She said - but she was insisting. 

Fanny paused before she spoke. Incrementally, but her words were more considered for it. “I merely thought I should suggest another star or two to Alison, for the tree. My star couldn’t fit more spokes, and I doubt it is sturdy enough to withstand more alterations. But there’s no reason we should lose all of my traditions just because this house  _ technically  _ isn’t mine.”

Kitty let her shoulders drop. Turning to face her, finally, she supposed that it should be easy to muster up interest in Fanny’s latest mission. 

“Oh,” She tried. “That will be nice, I think. Is it one for Alison? Because I think she’ll like that.” 

And Kitty was happy for Alison to be included. Truly, she was. She’d seemed so fulfilled when they had all joined her to sing by the piano. 

“Yes, I suppose.” Fanny continued. “She could have her spokes. But if it’s going to match properly, as it  _ ought to _ , then the main body of the star should go to she who was here first. Pink isn’t quite maroon, but I should think it will look handsome against the green of the needles.”

Once again her smile was soft and, this time, Fanny gave Kitty a pointed and meaningful look. It lit her up as though she were a match, sending electric pinpricks of delight right down to her toes. She daren’t push her luck with a hug, but Kitty positively beamed, her hands splaying at her sides. A hundred things ran through her mind - the possibilities of how it would look, the things she could say in thanks - but Kitty didn’t dare give credence to any of them. Instead:

“I wish I could have had a tree to decorate, when I was alive. And a star to put on it.”

Fanny nodded once, indulging Kitty in gently squeezing her arm. “At least you can now. You’ll even have Alison to help you.”


End file.
